Unusual or strange behavior involves performing actions that are not normal for the person.
Unusual or strange behavior may include:
There are many causes of unusual or strange behavior, including medical and psychiatric illnesses. Two of the more common medical causes are:
Psychiatric illnesses that are often associated with unusual or strange behavior include:
Possible causes of strange behavior in older people include:
Possible causes in people of all ages include:
A doctor should evaluate any unusual behaviors or personality changes. Treatments are based on the following causes of strange behavior:
Schedule an appointment with your regular health care provider or a doctor who treats disorders of the nervous system (neurologist) if:
The health care provider will perform a physical examination and will take a medical history. The physical examination will probably include a detailed evaluation of the nervous system (neurological evaluation).
Medical history questions may include:
The following tests may be performed:
Acting strangely
Inouye SK. Delirium and other mental status problems in the older patient. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 26.
Knopman DS. Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 425.
Updated by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Department of Neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, and Department of Anatomy at UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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